Massachusetts - Figurative Paintings

Artist Comments
Artist John McCabe depicts four cowboy boots embellished with colorful details. "The great country music performers from the 1960s to the 1970s made certain to match their Nudie...

Artist Comments
A colorful scene of a carnival in Rochester, Minnesota, with two young people strapped into their seats waiting for the ride to start. "I love the tawdry splendor of gaudy carnival attractions," says artist Leroy Burt. "Flashing lights and bright colors. One often sees the most unlikely combinations of people who might never meet except during those moments when they sit next to each other on rides."

About the Artist
Artist Leroy Burt paints playful, offbeat landscapes and portraits based on his experiences living in Milwaukee, New York, Costa Rica, and currently Rochester, Minnesota. "I think of my paintings as short stories," he says. As a young child, Leroy faced a number of obstacles. His parents divorced when he was four years old and he was raised by his grandparents in a three-room shack without running water or electricity. Leroy worked hard to pull himself out of poverty. He studied graphic design and painting, which led to a 30-year career in graphic design - five years at WMVS, the PBS television station in Milwaukee, fifteen years at city hall in Milwaukee, and ten years at WNET, the PBS station in New York. In 2015, Leroy retired to focus his energy on painting. Today, he works from a tiny studio filled with half-finished paintings stacked against every wall. "There are photos and sketches for future paintings taped everywhere," says Leroy. "My windows are filled with orchids. There are books, films and music CDs in every corner. And the room is dominated by a black and silver Andy Warhol silkscreen print of Marilyn Monroe."

Words that describe this painting: David Hockney, Edward Hopper, carnival, lights, excitement, colorful, folk art, people, representational, primitive, acrylic painting, blue

Carnival Ride...

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Artist Hyoungseok Kim paints a group of people hanging out on the beach using pointillism. He emphasizes the material and scientific features of nature by exp...

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Artist Onelio Marrero shows three people observing a grand ornate painting in a museum. The mostly fictitious scene displays hi...

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Artist Nava Lundy paints a young girl flying a bright yellow kite on a cloudy day. The impasto texture of the ethereal sky builds atmospheric depth. Nava aptl...

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Walking around Florence, Italy, artist Onelio Marrero came across a charismatic elderly couple asking for directions. Onelio fondly remembers the memory and m...

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Artist Gail Ragains portrays two gestural figures clad in swimwear on a hot summer day. The piece pays homage to the Bay Area figurative movement yet retains ...

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Artist Judy Mackey displays a sensual and mystical portrait of an angel. She shows the subject evoking a sense of mystery with her face obscured. The dreamy f...

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Artist David Shepherd paints a hyperrealistic close-up image of lips sipping on a flower. A torrent of dewy nectar drips slowly to the subject's mouth. Her sp...

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"Nothing captures the excitement of New York City like Christmas ornaments in and around Times Square," says artist Leroy Burt. "Thi...

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Artist Nikolay Rizhankov shows a tranquil winter scene in this work. A boy walks his dog around the frosty driveway on a quiet evening. They both enjoy the st...

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A young girl sits at a park on a late summer's day in August, lost in a story of a compelling book. The strong afternoon sunlight highlights her hair and back. "I saw this girl sitting by the reflecting pool in Washington, DC", shares artist Faye Vander Veer. "I wanted the painting to be about her, so I obscured surrounding details and kept the brushwork loose. What was her story, what was she reading?”

About the Artist
Artist Faye Vander Veer seeks out moments with engaging narratives and captures them with an impressionist style. She describes herself as an observer of people living their day-to-day lives. Her goal is to offer viewers a look into her sensory memory while also prompting the beginning of a story. Faye always keeps her camera by her side, ready to capture reference material. "For me, each painting is an opportunity to explore my emotional reactions to the color and light I observe," says Faye. She enjoys being in her glass-walled studio surrounded by nature to inspire her creative process. When she is not putting paint on canvas, Faye can be found in nature, journaling or writing poetry. Her artwork has been showcased in both American Art Collector and Art of the West magazines.

Words that describe this painting: figure, figurative, female, woman, girl, impressionism, impressionist, water, book, Manet, Degas, people, park, book, hair, impressionism, people, oil painting, brown

Young Girl Reading...

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Provocative hyperrealist oil painting created with breathtaking detail. Artist David Shepherd explains that he used the glass surface in this piece as a light...

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A mystical figure emerges from the divide of light and darkness. In this ethereal piece by artist Naoko Paluszak, the entity appears to be made of the same energy as where it came from. Naoko created both color balance and a robust contrasting composition that evokes strong emotion. Part of Naoko's signature Who Are These Angels series...

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Jessica JH Roller paints a self-portrait of a mastered yoga pose. It captures the geometric beauty of the posture called Ustrasana, or Camel. The subtle curve...

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"Atlanta's oldest neighborhood, Inman Park, is a popular destination for locals, the movie industry and visitors," explains artist Mary Pratt. "I was walking through Inman Park with my daughter and spotted these cool chicks and approached them to photograph. My daughter, mortified changed direction. The women, who worked in the movie industry, offered to pose on a bench outside...

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"What could be more relaxing than the gentle sounds of the outgoing tide as it recedes from the shore, leaving behind little pools of water?" asks Faye. Throu...

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A contemplative portrait rendered in bright oranges and green. Artist Gary Leonard first developed the abstract background and then worked the figure into the...

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Part of artist Naoko Paluszak's signature series Who Are These Angels. A diaphanous figure appears to be swaying on her feet. Focused light shimmers on her wh...

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A modernist portrait combining a realistic face and an abstract figure. Artist Ryan Pickart uses bold linework to explore how the ...

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"Girls in Blue" is a portrait of two girls exploring the juxtaposition of fluidity and transparency of oil paint. In this piece, I continue to experiment with poses and their relationship to each other.

About the Artist

Words that describe this painting: portrait, girls, people, fashion, representational, oil painting, yellow

Girls in Blue
Ryan...

Artist Comments
I have always been fascinated by images from the past that exist today divorced from their original intent or context. Clearly, someone believed the image was...

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A kindly middle-aged man holds his cat companion in this painting, depicting the artist Jessica JH Roller's husband with one of their family cats. The gentle ...

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Two figures stand close in an abstract forest, their forms blending with the trees. Directional brushstrokes capture the gentle sound of wind rustling through t...

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A woman stands in a sun-drenched field that stretches endlessly around her. Her vibrant red skirt contrasts beautifully with the golden grass, drawing the eye t...

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High stone seawalls line parts of the New Jersey shoreline, where tides and surges deposit an array of natural and manmade artifacts. In this scene, a young gir...